Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 371

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) A heist recently occurred at the A.J. Fernandez warehouse in Sunrise, Florida. According to a press release from A.J. Fernandez Cigars, robbers stole product valued at $25,000 on the evening of February 13. “In a scene right out of a heist film, the burglars cut a hole through the wall of an adjacent business using powered cutting tools—disabling one sector of the alarm system—and gaining access to a delivery/staging area of the AJF facility,” reads the press release. “The gang of at least five burglars made off with several crates of product, which had been delivered earlier in the day from Nicaragua, but had not yet been unpacked by AJF warehouse staff. The criminals did not gain access to the main humidified area of the facility. Thankfully, there were no injures to AJF staff as a result of this incident.” Some readers may recall the Alec Bradley warehouse robbery in September 2013, which occurred in Hollywood, Florida—approximately 25 minutes away from the AJF facility. In that heist, the burglars made away with merchandise worth $300,000 at wholesale, or nearly $600,000 at the retail level.

2) The “On the Road” column in the New York Times this week offered information about a website that helps travelers find hotels that offer smoking rooms. Smoketels.com features 100,000 hotels worldwide. The column also dealt extensively with cigar smoking—unfortunately reinforcing the idea that we’re almost all wealthy conspicuous consumers—and quoted Cigar Aficionado‘s Gordon Mott about an app the magazine is developing to pinpoint hotels that permit cigar smoking and nearby smoking lounges.

3) Inside the Industry: General Cigar is introducing the Partagas 1845 Extra Fuerte, a “fuller-bodied, fuller-flavored follow-up to the [original] 1845.” According to two magazine ads posted online, the cigar uses an Ecuadorian Habano Ligero wrapper and Nicaraguan filler.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up Fonseca 120th Anniversary. Cigar Inspector inspects Nat Sherman Timeless Collection. Stogie Review reviews Cuban Stock Triumph. Stogie Fresh smokes Nica Rustica. The Tiki Bar kicks back with LEAF by Oscar.

5) Deal of the Week: Maduro fans would do well to check out this special. Only $45 gets you 5 each of the Liga Undercrown Gran Toro and the Rocky Patel Private Cellar Robusto.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Google Maps